Leftover Easter ham recipes
Easter is one of our favorite holidays to celebrate with family. Like many of you out there, our Easter Sunday brunch, lunch, or dinner is not complete without a delicious and beautifully cooked ham resting right in the center of our table.
Because of its practicality, simplicity, and seasonality, ham is among the most common dishes served in American homes on Easter, and you won’t hear us complain about it! However, as inevitable as ham being a part of the Easter family meal is there is something else that is just as inevitable: leftovers.
No matter how many family members gather together for Easter, there is almost always a head-scratching amount of ham leftover to deal with. With gathers likely to be even smaller this year, this is going to almost certainly be the case in homes across the country.
Most will enjoy a ham sandwich for lunch the next day, but that can only stretch your leftovers so far. That is when you have to break out the culinary ingenuity! Our go-to for leftover Easter ham is, of course, making Easter ham and beans.
Ham and beans are a match made in heaven, and what better time to make it than when you find yourself with a ton of leftovers and even maybe a big ham bone to go with it? Here are some of our favorite leftover Easter ham and beans recipes.
Smoked Ham and Bean Soup
What, did you think we weren’t going to recommend putting your leftover ham to use in a delicious batch of ham and bean soup? This recipe is an extremely simple version of ham and beans, but don’t mistake simple with boring. Thanks to our Randall Beans soup base (which we’ll show you how to make in the recipe as well) the broth is bursting with flavor and amplifies the simple ingredients list. The soup base you can also use for any other soups you make this year as well.
Slow Cooker Pinto Beans and Ham
While ham and bean soup is traditionally made using white beans, that doesn’t mean there isn’t any room for something different! When it comes to ham and bean soup most any kind of bean can do, which is why we love this take on ham and beans from Simple Happy Foodie using pinto beans! She uses dried beans, but of course you know you can always skip this step when you use Randall’s pinto beans and start eating sooner! Be sure to give this one a try as a way to use your leftover ham bones.
White Bean Ham Bake
Want something a little different with your leftover ham than a pot of soup? How about a super cheesy ham and bean casserole? Honestly, you had us at super cheesy. This recipe from 12 Tomatoes is a super easy recipe to make use of your leftover ham using ingredients that you may already have in your pantry. Bubbling, creamy, and cheesy, this recipe will be a particular hit with any kids you’ll be cooking for. With how quick and easy it is to make, this is a great weeknight dinner option for using up leftovers.
Italian Ham and White Bean Orzo
This recipe from Chef Savvy is so wonderful on so many levels! First, it’s a great way to use your leftover ham. Second, while it may look like rice, orzo is actually pasta which makes this dish a really fun twist on one of our favorite recipes: the classic pasta Fagioli. This is a much lighter soup recipe for using up your leftover ham and features lots of vibrant Italian flavors and spices that make it a joy to eat on a cool evening.
Leftovers often get a bad reputation for being boring, but that is just because some people don’t take the right approach to use their leftovers! Instead of just trying to reheat your last meal, repurpose it into new and exciting meals that can increase your mileage and enjoyment out of unassuming leftovers.
